mjfmjfmjf's review
4.0
An odd book - I wouldn't have picked it for a nebula winner - it's barely a fantasy. And yet it's kind of a love letter to growing up reading sf and fantasy in the 80's and finding others who read sf and talk about it. The references to books and characters come so fast and furious, I'd expect it would be the extraordinarily rare person who's read them all AND remembers them. Basically this is an English boarding-school book and in fact just a couple of months in one year - told through the journal of our protagonist - a 15 year old surviving twin who sees fairies.
I expect I'll read this one again at some point.
I expect I'll read this one again at some point.
yoannna's review against another edition
1.0
This book was such a huge disappointment! :((
I was looking forward to it with excitement - it promised Welsh mythology, fairies, and lots of sci-fi and fantasy books in the mix. What could possibly go wrong, right?!
Well, apparently everything. Somewhere in the very beginning Jo Walton has lost track of what she was doing and just turned in this rambling, fragmented, a little disturbed diary instead. At least I hope she got confused, because it's crazy to think this pointless story was something premeditated.
In short: Nothing happens. And I mean nothing! Entry after entry I wait for something to engage me, something to happen, a character to develop or maybe, hopefully, the story. Nothing! There are just pages of "I went here, saw this, was bored, was so much better than everyone else. Oh, and my mum's a witch. The food at school sucks." Next entry: "I am special, I am smart, I'm so much better than everyone else, but still need outside validation. Oh, and my twin sister is dead (somehow), and my mum's a witch. The food at my father's sucks, I can cook better than three grown up women put together."
Oh, and the promise of books? There's no talking books, there's just a shit load of name dropping. All. The. Time! Nowhere does it say she's a speed-reading genius or some such, but she does claim to read basically a book an hour. And at 15 she knows and understands literature so well, she even says (loose paraphrasing) "oh, Dickens is a long-winded bore; I can write perfect essays about him in my sleep". Everything that is said about the books themselves is just random lines that could've been (and might well be) picked up from a blurb or somebody's review here on GR.
Then there are the awkward sexual references. And the constant reminders of her dead sister, how she ran away, and how her mother is a horrible abusive witch, but never one line that would support/explain any of it. Until the very end, there are just random "facts" about fairies and a lot of LOTR references that don't quite connect. All I got was that Jo Walton thinks it's the greatest book ever. I like and respect Tolkien as much as the next gal, possibly even more than some, but that got old really quickly.
Finally, I skipped the last 30% and jumped right to the supposed denouement. But again - nothing. There was no climax, there was no resolution. There was her dead twin sister, Mori turning into flame, opening and closing some unexplained doors to... some place, an afterworld of sorts, and there was her crazy mother throwing stuff at her on a hill. And then nothing.
Honestly, at the beginning of this review I thought I'd leave it at the first "nothing happens" but it was just not enough to emphasise the pointlessness and want in this book. I am seriously baffled by the awards that it has and the raving reviews on GR.
I was looking forward to it with excitement - it promised Welsh mythology, fairies, and lots of sci-fi and fantasy books in the mix. What could possibly go wrong, right?!
Well, apparently everything. Somewhere in the very beginning Jo Walton has lost track of what she was doing and just turned in this rambling, fragmented, a little disturbed diary instead. At least I hope she got confused, because it's crazy to think this pointless story was something premeditated.
In short: Nothing happens. And I mean nothing! Entry after entry I wait for something to engage me, something to happen, a character to develop or maybe, hopefully, the story. Nothing! There are just pages of "I went here, saw this, was bored, was so much better than everyone else. Oh, and my mum's a witch. The food at school sucks." Next entry: "I am special, I am smart, I'm so much better than everyone else, but still need outside validation. Oh, and my twin sister is dead (somehow), and my mum's a witch. The food at my father's sucks, I can cook better than three grown up women put together."
Oh, and the promise of books? There's no talking books, there's just a shit load of name dropping. All. The. Time! Nowhere does it say she's a speed-reading genius or some such, but she does claim to read basically a book an hour. And at 15 she knows and understands literature so well, she even says (loose paraphrasing) "oh, Dickens is a long-winded bore; I can write perfect essays about him in my sleep". Everything that is said about the books themselves is just random lines that could've been (and might well be) picked up from a blurb or somebody's review here on GR.
Then there are the awkward sexual references. And the constant reminders of her dead sister, how she ran away, and how her mother is a horrible abusive witch, but never one line that would support/explain any of it. Until the very end, there are just random "facts" about fairies and a lot of LOTR references that don't quite connect. All I got was that Jo Walton thinks it's the greatest book ever. I like and respect Tolkien as much as the next gal, possibly even more than some, but that got old really quickly.
Finally, I skipped the last 30% and jumped right to the supposed denouement. But again - nothing. There was no climax, there was no resolution. There was her dead twin sister, Mori turning into flame, opening and closing some unexplained doors to... some place, an afterworld of sorts, and there was her crazy mother throwing stuff at her on a hill. And then nothing.
Honestly, at the beginning of this review I thought I'd leave it at the first "nothing happens" but it was just not enough to emphasise the pointlessness and want in this book. I am seriously baffled by the awards that it has and the raving reviews on GR.
jacalata's review
5.0
I loved it. Besides the story itself, it felt like one of those conversations with friends about books where you all have similar taste - I took notes of books I want to read that were mentioned in this, and I might get all motivated and go through to make a comprehensive list of every book mentioned.
proffy's review
4.0
The Short and Sweet of It
Morwenna and her twin sister were raised by their insane mother who is also a witch. Recruited by fairies to prevent their mother from amassing too much power, the girls fight and in the process Morwenna is injured and her sister dies. And then the story begins....
A Bit of a Ramble
I was very excited when this book made the short list for the Independent Literary Awards; after all, I had heard such wonderful things about the book from various bloggers and I adored the cover. And I must say I was not disappointed. But I was surprised.
It's not often I read a story where so much nothing happens. The plot of Among Others is very difficult to pin down. More than anything, this reads like an insight into a character, not a "story". Of course, this is in part due to the structure of the novel which is written in a series of diary entries. The real story has already taken place by the time the book begins. What readers get here is the aftermath, the healing. Mori, the protagonist, ran away from her mad mother to live with a father she had never met who quickly sent her away to a boarding school where, honestly, the most exciting thing that happens is she joins a book club at the local library.
As I'm writing this, I'm worried you may think the book boring because of a lack of action, but it's far from it. I was riveted by the three levels this story had going: the tale of witches and fairies, the coming of age of our main character, and the consistent focus on science fiction-fantasy novels. This is not a heart-pounding thrill ride, but rather a quiet stroll, a walk at dusk complete with profound thoughts and reflection.
I really must direct you to Carl's review of the book over at Stainless Steel Droppings and Ana's at things mean a lot for true reviews. They artfully state what I would love to say, and I highly recommend reading their reviews.
Morwenna and her twin sister were raised by their insane mother who is also a witch. Recruited by fairies to prevent their mother from amassing too much power, the girls fight and in the process Morwenna is injured and her sister dies. And then the story begins....
A Bit of a Ramble
I was very excited when this book made the short list for the Independent Literary Awards; after all, I had heard such wonderful things about the book from various bloggers and I adored the cover. And I must say I was not disappointed. But I was surprised.
It's not often I read a story where so much nothing happens. The plot of Among Others is very difficult to pin down. More than anything, this reads like an insight into a character, not a "story". Of course, this is in part due to the structure of the novel which is written in a series of diary entries. The real story has already taken place by the time the book begins. What readers get here is the aftermath, the healing. Mori, the protagonist, ran away from her mad mother to live with a father she had never met who quickly sent her away to a boarding school where, honestly, the most exciting thing that happens is she joins a book club at the local library.
As I'm writing this, I'm worried you may think the book boring because of a lack of action, but it's far from it. I was riveted by the three levels this story had going: the tale of witches and fairies, the coming of age of our main character, and the consistent focus on science fiction-fantasy novels. This is not a heart-pounding thrill ride, but rather a quiet stroll, a walk at dusk complete with profound thoughts and reflection.
I really must direct you to Carl's review of the book over at Stainless Steel Droppings and Ana's at things mean a lot for true reviews. They artfully state what I would love to say, and I highly recommend reading their reviews.
saraellington_'s review
dark
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
bookstavan's review against another edition
4.0
La mère de Morwenna est une sorcière malveillante. La soeur jumelle de Morwenna est décédée dans un accident. Accident qui l’a laissé boiteuse.
Journal intime d’une ado qui fuit grâce aux livres et qui parle aux fées, Morwenna allie fantasy et roman d’initiation
Journal intime d’une ado qui fuit grâce aux livres et qui parle aux fées, Morwenna allie fantasy et roman d’initiation
wetdryvac's review
5.0
Really well thought out system of questioning, trap scenarios, and social interaction. Very much enjoyed it. Very much not a style of book I usually like - journal format almost always drives me nuts - but this author proved it can be done well and unobtrusively. Much fun.
And coming back to it, it seems familiar, but not to where I think I've read it before until that one particular moment of, "Oh, it's *this* trap."
And coming back to it, it seems familiar, but not to where I think I've read it before until that one particular moment of, "Oh, it's *this* trap."
jobatkin's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and was sad to finish it. It was a pleasure to read, especially as the protagonist is someone who also loves to read many of my other favourites. Highly recommended for any lovers of science fiction and magical realism.
xeyra's review
4.0
This was a rather beautiful coming of age book about finding your place in the world, family, love and friendship, and, well, books! Which is why it was such a great read for me. It's rather enchanting in both its setting and the magical nature of it, but also a thoroughly enjoyable for a reader because of the many book references.
It's also a bit of a strange novel that seems to take place in completely different universes: the one where Mor sees fairies and does magic and has just lost her sister and her mom is an evil witch trying to get to her, and the mundane reality of her boarding school with all its 'normalness' and the SFF book reading and book club and libraries and just reading what was the popular or new fiction of the late 70s. And though I enjoyed it a lot, the different tonal shifts could get a little jarring.
You do wonder by the end, though, if Mor's fairies and magic and everything was actually real or not. The abrupt way things ended can be read as a rejection of the fantastic represented by the fairies and her sister for new found greater maturity, which would actually make it better than if it was taken at face value.
The issue with the novel was that many of the mysteries are never really addressed, which makes you think if Mor is a terribly unreliable narrator that is just trying to hide behind magic to give meaning to the real tragedy of losing her twin sister. Then there's the fact that she assumes her sister's name but this is never really addressed; it's just something she drops twice in the narrative without any other mention of why.
One thing I did come out of this novel feeling inspired to was to add a bunch of novels to my wishlist. So beware, reader!
It's also a bit of a strange novel that seems to take place in completely different universes: the one where Mor sees fairies and does magic and has just lost her sister and her mom is an evil witch trying to get to her, and the mundane reality of her boarding school with all its 'normalness' and the SFF book reading and book club and libraries and just reading what was the popular or new fiction of the late 70s. And though I enjoyed it a lot, the different tonal shifts could get a little jarring.
You do wonder by the end, though, if Mor's fairies and magic and everything was actually real or not. The abrupt way things ended can be read as a rejection of the fantastic represented by the fairies and her sister for new found greater maturity, which would actually make it better than if it was taken at face value.
The issue with the novel was that many of the mysteries are never really addressed, which makes you think if Mor is a terribly unreliable narrator that is just trying to hide behind magic to give meaning to the real tragedy of losing her twin sister. Then there's the fact that she assumes her sister's name but this is never really addressed; it's just something she drops twice in the narrative without any other mention of why.
One thing I did come out of this novel feeling inspired to was to add a bunch of novels to my wishlist. So beware, reader!